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COVID-19 Coronavirus: practicalities

musicisgood

Sempai
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4 Sep 2015
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I thought I'd start this thread since now Japan and many of us may now be facing some time soon to be new challenges in our life style here. My wife is in the educational line of employment and I guess for the time being, its no income coming in for her. Might change at the situation changes for school children, but my thoughts are of any of you here also feeling some uncertainty?
 
I'm in Hokkaido, so it's pretty bleak. I'll lose about ¥10,000 a day every day people avoid going out. I'm hoping it cools down after a week, but we still don't know a lot about the virus. This is going to be a long week
 
The boss was talking about shutting down for a while. After a talk we all agreed not to. All of us are hurting financially right now. We really cannot afford a shut down.

For any part time ALTs I make this suggestion: demand a usual month's pay. Your agent just gets a big yearly lump sum and pays you from that, and that figure won't change for them. Its zero skin off their nose to just pay you as usual. Don't let them be slime and make profit off this situation at your expense.

Remember, you are in a foreign land any you probably don't have family to fall back on. And unlike a Japanese you may not be able to work part-time to make up the difference... that may be even part of your contract!
 
I go to work by train to one of the busiest stations in the world, and I work on the 26th floor of an office tower. I'm off for at least two weeks. My wife walks to work through a residential area that borders a forest. She's still working.
 
No work (retired), and my wife is at public uni so tho classes/tests are way done, her meetings (and paychecks) continue.

My sympathies to others, but I had some surgery in later january. I have been taking it easy since then, but due to that, age, and another surgery last year, I'm in the "at risk" demographic. I'm out with our dog whenever the wx's good, but really don't have much people contact--the checkout lines at the supermarket are the closest I am to a crowd (and I drive back and forth).
 
It's like war times right now. There's a certain tension that I can't quite put my finger on. But it's sort of like being in a castle, and standing on the wall looking out to the hill, and seeing an army of 1 million, while your castle only 2000 troops. It's a sort of... 'Oh my' moment, and it's not quite dawn yet, there's a mist going around, and you know it's going to come, but it's just staring you down for the time being. You know the castle won't survive the siege, but there's the awkward time in between.

But, I have been selling and buying products online, and I have not received any feedback pertaining to the shipment of the products I bought, nor an evaluation for the products I sold from at least 5 different male accounts. Women just keep on plowing through the business aspect of the online market even in these dark times, so I guess some props are due. I've contacted the marketplace administration to deal with the non-responsive bodies. I've never encountered anything like this before. Usually, I get one ditz every second or third month, but this month there is 5. If I don't get feedback, I don't get paid. So, for all intents and purposes, I'm out around 60,000 Yen Since the 29th of February. 4 DAYS.

Maybe those clients, and businesses are affected from the Corona plague.

I think there's an effect similar to mass hysteria, and getting caught up in the momentum of things, abandoning all manners and responsibilities, and succumbing to the temptation of deviating from the norms.
I'll call it the Corona Chan Effect.

Also I'm a foreigner, so I don't really know what people are thinking when they see my name on their packages, or their print screen for shipping labels during these times. My worst case scenario is coming to the conclusion that some people are thinking Corona is a foreign disease, so foreigners are to blame. God knows. Being in Japan, my worst pet-peeve is being stigmatized for being a foreigner, or being disrespected, and treated as if I don't matter.

Update: I've looked at their feedback counter, and it keeps going up. So their accounts do have activity.
It definitely does look grim. And I feel like we're not being told everything.

Whenever disaster hits I feel like some Japanese become more distant, while others overcompensate with being overly friendly to thank me for still staying in their country. Or even, are amazed that I'm still here.

On the other hand, we have YouTubers living in Japan, and live streaming themselves taking the Corona Virus test like it's a joke. So, different people are coping with it in different ways.

I overstocked on food, toilet paper (24 rolls), and just taking things in strides. I'm just watching YouTube now, but my favorite content creators are spooked by the progress of the virus in their respective countries, so just having them, being thousands of miles away being spooked, when I'm at the epicenter of things gives you a reality check. So at the start of the broadcast. and 6 minutes again mentioning the death toll in their country, along with the infections, they can't stop, again at 22 minuted in... Might as well create an algorithm for a death counter, and place it in the corner of the screen. This thing is much worse than the media will have you believe.

Video game conferences have been cancelled worldwide.

So, even when I try to take solace in the non serious things, they are also being affected by Corona Chan.
 
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SmudgeBuddy - a few points.
1) I think that in this case, assuming you're not a Chinese looking foreigner, you're not going to get stigmatized for this one, and you might not be even if you are.
2) I've not seen any signs of panic or hysteria yet and I've seen the folk of Tokyo stay calm when things were much worse (2011). I'd like to know if other people have noticed changes in behaviour.
3) I think the situation in Japan is worse than the number of cases suggests. Relatively few tests are being carried out compared with in other countries despite Japan being one of the earliest countries to see person to person transmission. People tend to bury bad news here and there are quite compelling reasons to do so by those in charge in this case - to give the appearance that things are under control so that the Olympics don't get cancelled (regardless of the fact that they will get cancelled anyway if the virus continues to spread worldwide for the next couple of months).
 
1 : I'm actually White European. But, I found it strange that suddenly when this is going on that I get at least 5 guys who don't do their job. I've never had to deal with this ever, so I chalk it up to the Corona Chan Effect, it's not mass-hysteria, but it activates in the same way. Suddenly people forget common courtesy, responsibilities, manners, and deadlines. I saw a very damning documentary about one possible cause of Corona. I wonder if you saw it as well, it opens with a tanooki.

2. Besides the toilet paper, masks, and the non perishables, there's not much hysteria. Just panic buying.

3. There's definitely a cover up, things in the news don't match up to what's actually happening. I felt like they knew something we don't. I feel like I was too nonchalant about it too. This is a legitimate threat to our well-beings, and livelihoods.
 
Our local hospital has canceled all new outpatient people. All beds now are being emptied other then necessary. All beds in the mental ward are now being reserved for patients of the virus. The mental ward is all under lock and key. The hospital here is basically empty and waiting for corona virus infected people. Its very sad now. Even many people that work at the hospital for cleaning , their hours have been cut . This stuff is serious people.
 
@musicisgood, take care of yourself, practice good hygiene and socially isolate if necessary. Age and pre-existing conditions are the biggest risks if you get sick.

would you mind if I merged this into the main COVID19 thread?
 
This stuff is serious people.

What exactly are you saying is serious? And what do you mean by "serious"?

Is it t he reaction or over-reaction that is serious? The virus itself? And by "serious" do you mean dangerous, something we should note, or seriously crazy, a current problem, a future problem, or a disaster waiting to happen, or something else?

All I see is gross over-reaction and unnecessary spreading of panic.

It all feels rather like some group's little experiment to see how the world will react in the event of an actual emergency.
 
would you mind if I merged this into the main COVID19 thread?

Particularly since his area is not even specified its the right thing to do. I could see see a separate thread to talk about his exact location and situation there...but...since its not here.... So this hardly qualifies as a new topic. Heck, there is not even a question to respond to in the OP.
 
I know many of you at some time have been in the English juku conversation business, so I wonder if any of you have heard of any closings? Due to the corona virus.
 
sure go a head. but leave out the stuff that causes an alarm. but we now do have 3 that are infected in Shimonoski (I understand its a family)

and you can delete the thread then
a bit of over reacting, but the hospital was clearly almost empty at 3:30 pm when I went to go to buy some masks.
 
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Everyone is affected. Perhaps the OP should have read, HOW are you affected?

My son's HS shut down the last months of classes. No word yet on when they will start the new one.
My uni canceled graduation and opening ceremonies and some retirement parties, and interviews for certain "recommendation" students were canceled (probably just take a chance on their paper records instead). No word yet on delays in starting the new semester. A few vague rumors about feasibility of doing lessons remotely via video technology, but I doubt that will solidify.
Home life is affected in the sense that it is hard to get certain supplies like hand gel, alcohol wipes, and masks. My wife works in the public sector, so she is concerned for herself and people she runs into contact with. We had no plans to travel overseas, but we were wondering how or if we could visit my wife's family in Sapporo like we always do before the semester starts. We'll just have to see.
Not sure whether certain professional organizations will hold or cancel their conferences. First one is PanSIG in late May in Niigata. So far, so good.
 
In the case of me,
Because a contract was finished in this month, I underwent the interview of the new project in last month.
I was going to begin work at next month by a new project.
However, the communication that the project postponed under the influence of coronavirus from a user in last week came.:ROFLMAO:
 
We got to some topics on this already, but I'd like this topic to stay actually on topic.
On stage 1 of the silent panic here in town I saw what was taking place. We were a bit slow on buying masks for our safety but I think we secured 5 boxes or at least 100 masks. Some are used up now. Toilet paper run seems to be over now, no need to rush on that , at least not here.
Bean to make chili are all sold out. Other then that , maybe garbage bags are a bit low. Since stage one of panic is over , what do you think you should prepare for stage 2 panic. (that will happen by the way)
We will buy flour , can Japanese fish, yeast, pasta, can tomatoes and of course lots of curry seasonings. So far the shelves are really full. Just no masks.
 
What Is the yeast for? Bread maker?

When I lived in Tokyo I had cases of water delivered and I had some canned food. That was my earthquake prevention measures.
I've been lax on my disaster prepping in the US but over the weekend I picked up a bunch of canned goods and instant meals that could be used in a pinch. As a good American I should run out and buy some guns & ammunition but I'm not that scared. 😄

Anyway I would have a supply of long shelf life food on hand.
 
Everyone is affected. Perhaps the OP should have read, HOW are you affected?

My son's HS shut down the last months of classes. No word yet on when they will start the new one.
My uni canceled graduation and opening ceremonies and some retirement parties, and interviews for certain "recommendation" students were canceled (probably just take a chance on their paper records instead). No word yet on delays in starting the new semester. A few vague rumors about feasibility of doing lessons remotely via video technology, but I doubt that will solidify.
Home life is affected in the sense that it is hard to get certain supplies like hand gel, alcohol wipes, and masks. My wife works in the public sector, so she is concerned for herself and people she runs into contact with. We had no plans to travel overseas, but we were wondering how or if we could visit my wife's family in Sapporo like we always do before the semester starts. We'll just have to see.
Not sure whether certain professional organizations will hold or cancel their conferences. First one is PanSIG in late May in Niigata. So far, so good.


For me, it means no Japanese yen coming in. Not in debt, but the bills need to be paid. Savings , well, our parents always said "save for a rainy day". Hope it stops raining in Fall, or I might be falling down.
 
What Is the yeast for? Bread maker?

When I lived in Tokyo I had cases of water delivered and I had some canned food. That was my earthquake prevention measures.
I've been lax on my disaster prepping in the US but over the weekend I picked up a bunch of canned goods and instant meals that could be used in a pinch. As a good American I should run out and buy some guns & ammunition but I'm not that scared. 😄

Anyway I would have a supply of long shelf life food on hand.

yes, yeast is for bread and pizza dough

I think a few guns now would be on my list in America, but I would surely have a crossbow and a tent and some fishing stuff.
From what I 've heard, Costco is like a zoo at 10 am in the morning?
 
Here in my corner of the USA, as things stand now my kids aren't scheduled to go to school from tomorrow until April 13. They are scrambling now to come up with a remote learning plan based on Google Classroom. And just got word from my company asking people to stay home and work remotely if at all possible. Our business is technology so most of us can continue to work with a computer and phone thankfully. The company CEO said a main factor for taking this more seriously was this video.



A coworker who returned from Japan business trip March 29th and supposedly had a mild fever last week that went away after a day. And I've had vague feelings of a sore throat a couple times over the last couple of days since I heard that. Hopefully it's just psychosomatic though.
 
From what I 've heard, Costco is like a zoo at 10 am in the morning?
That is hit or miss depending on where you are. I went at noon on Thursday and it was very busy -- about as much as it usually is on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. I was able to get through the checkout in about 10 minutes. But I heard at noon the previous day the checkout line was all the way to the back of the store. Probably they were staffed for a typical week day not the day after various announcements about schools closing down. Anyway I'm sure the rush will diminish as everybody gets stocked up.
Yesterday I went to a few grocery stores and generally things were ok except for almost no meat and the inexplicable paper product rush. And lots of packages foods were low, like soups and macaroni/cheese and the like. No major lines like I've seen in images coming out of California though. But Los Angeles County alone has a population that's larger than most states.
 
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